Category Archives: Prevent overstimulation

Sometimes the best form of defence is offence; Staying in a regular defensive stance leaves you open for attack.

Certain people, places, times of the day, moods, emotions, atmospheres, mental and physical environments have the ability to trigger overwhelming feelings,anxiety, depression, rage or any other form of strong emotion.

If one is able to become aware of their own personal triggers (trigger situations/events), then one also has the ability prior to a ‘trigger situation’ occurring, form a set of actions (mental and physical) in place in an attempt to alleviate and reduce the strength and hold these triggers have on oneself at any given time. An example of this could be: instead of feeling intense rage in a trigger situation one may feel ‘slightly irritated’ instead.

Once one has identified a trigger situation they would like to adjust, think of all the many other possible ways that one could alter that trigger situation. Next time the trigger situation occurs the emotions that occur initially are not as strong and overwhelming alleviating the pressure off and making dealing with the overall situation much easier. Mental preparation is key, but it takes time for changes to actually occur during trigger situations as, in a way training your brain and body to react differently.

If one is not able to mental prepare for a trigger situation there are still options on how one goes about dealing with the situation. Instead of being reactive, by thinking then acting the outcome is far more likely to yield better results.

Another potential way of alleviating the strong emotions occurring during trigger situations, is by giving less focus on what is going on in your mind and more focus of the actual situation as it is occurring using your senses; what you see, hear, can smell, are touching/can feel, taste.

Imagine your brain like a computer, it can only handle so many tasks at any one time. By default your brain attempts to spend the majority of its processing in the mind itself, not the 5 senses, hearing, smelling, tasking, looking, touch/feeling. But if you are able to focus on the 5 senses instead, the mind will have less processing capacity and therefore less mental hold over you and any emotions you feel.

If you are not fulling utilising your 5 senses during any given moment, you are ultimately giving more power, time and dedication to mental thoughts and feelings opposed to actions. Actions are where change is made.

By developing and adapting your physical and mental habits accordingly, the overall effect during any given trigger situation will ultimately affect you less, giving you more control during these situations.